(A/N: is mentioned... I just felt the need to warn people... there's nothing graphic or anything like that... but just a warning.)

 

Chanyeol was distraught, frantic, hyperventilating and nothing Zitao said could calm him down. They had gone straight to Baekhyun's parents, and they had agreed to help, but now they seemed to be discussing something with each other, and Chanyeol seemed to be losing sanity by the minute. Finally, Baekhyun's father stepped out from a back room, a suitcase in his hands.

"One hundred thousand dollars in cash," He sad, his forehead creased in worry. "I'm sorry, but this is all we have at the moment… please… save my son."

Chanyeol took the suitcase from him and opened it, as if he didn't quite believe it. Zitao didn't blame him, since Baekhyun's father hadn't really been there, and he had never supported his uality; he hadn't even gone to the wedding. Their home was luxurious enough, and his father was a businessman, who knew how to make money, so this was all an act, fake sincerity, at least they were willing to give them something.

Chanyeol knew all this better than anyone. So, after confirming the amount, he snapped the suitcase shut with a loud click, and walked out of there without a word; no thank you, not even a goodbye. Zitao followed after him after mumbling an awkward goodbye.

"The nerve of him!" Chanyeol yelled, enraged, as he slammed his hand on to the steering wheel. "His son's life is on the line and he's not even willing to spare a little more of his stupid money."

Chanyeol started the car and backed out, clearly unwilling to spend even another moment there.

"You know, when Baekhyun left for university," The older male continued, his eyes on the road, his hands clenching the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were turning white. "His father gave him all of a hundred dollars, and whatever was his stuff from when he had lived there. Baekhyun had no one, until he met you… and you… I've always been jealous of you, you know?"

Zitao looked up, surprised by those words. "Me? Why me?"

"You met him first, you healed his damaged spirit," Chanyeol replied, his voice soft. "You taught him to love again, that he wasn't alone… I knew from the very beginning, that even if we got together, he would never be able to forget you, that he would always have some sort of feelings for you. He feels like he owes you, you know that?"

"I kind of feel that way towards him too," Zitao said, now staring straight ahead. "He saved me too. I was prepared to never love again… after Lu Han had just…"

"I know, Baekhyun told me about it," Chanyeol told him. "When he and I first got together, he cried to me. He told me about you guys, without telling me your name and I never knew what you looked like… so I'm sorry for not recognizing you at first that time. And at that moment, it dawned on me, after I figured out that you were that ex, I would never be to give him what you had given him. We had a falling out period, where we both assumed that neither of us loved the other anymore. He begged me to stay together, even if it was just for show, and I agreed, but it really hurt, to think the one you love no longer loved you back. Basically, it was my fault though, his love was clear as day, and I couldn't see it… Sehun helped us resolve it, so everything turned out okay, but it should have never happened in the first place."

Zitao was confused as to why Chanyeol was telling him all of this; they weren’t close, could barely be called friends, but maybe he wanted them to be closer?

"I've thought about Baekhyun far more than I would care to admit," Zitao said, deciding that it would be nice to tell someone else this, even if this person was Baekhyun's husband. "And you should probably know that I honestly didn't think that you could… love him enough. I thought that no one loved him more than me… I can see that I was wrong though. Take care of him, Chanyeol, I don't ever want to see him cry again…"

The older boy turned to look at him for an extremely brief moment before turning back to the road, surprise written all over his face.

"Thank you, Zitao," He smiled, bright and eye twitching. "And I promise you that as long as he wants me around, I will take care of him."

The younger boy nodded, satisfied with this answer.

"So where are we going, anyways?"

"Sehun's," Came Chanyeol's brief reply. "He'll help us… I hope…"

 

Chanyeol could only stand to watch two seconds of the tape before turning away, tears in his eyes. Seeing his lover tied up, bruised and bleeding, it had struck a deep chord within him, and as he and Zitao stood upon Sehun's doorstep, he told himself that he would not leave without another hundred thousand, even if he had to beg.

"Sehunnie…" Chanyeol muttered to himself, pressing the doorbell for the fifth time. "Come on…"

Finally, the door opened, and Lu Han was there, looking tired and wiping at his eyes. When his gaze fell upon Chanyeol and Zitao, though, he smiled, his eyes lighting up.

"Hi guys!" He exclaimed, his voice low. "Sorry, Sehun's sleeping. We were up all night with the baby…"

"Baby?" Chanyeol and Zitao said at the same time, clearly surprised.

"Yeah, we adopted a child," And suddenly the way Lu Han looked made sense. "A beautiful little girl."

"Oh, congratulations!" Zitao smiled, glad that someone was happy.

"Thanks!" Lu Han grinned back. "Come in, come in, I'll get Sehun."

They stepped inside, and Zitao was once again greeted with the sight of the house where he had caused so much trouble and destruction. It had been almost two years since then, but the events were still as clear in his head like they had happened just mere hours ago. Lu Han turned to look at him then, like he knew what he was thinking, but the look in his eyes told Zitao that he didn't blame him in the least.

"Wait here, okay?" The smaller male told them, motioning to the couch. "I'll be right back."

Lu Han came back about five minutes later, a small bundle of blankets in his arms, presumably the baby, and a very grumpy looking Sehun behind him. The couple and their baby sat down on the couch next to where Chanyeol and Zitao currently occupied, and Sehun yawned widely before smiling at the two of them; he looked much older than he had a year ago.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Sehun asked. "Where's Baekhyun?"

Both Chanyeol and Zitao winced at the same time, and the older of the two looked away, avoiding everyone's gaze.

"Um…" Zitao said, deciding he should probably speak up. "That's why we're here…"

"What's wrong, guys?" The youngest boy said, suddenly serious. "What's with the long faces?"

Zitao took a deep breath before beginning to explain the situation. He left out the part about how Kris had used Lu Han as an excuse, afraid of the reaction that would cause, but told them everything else, from the note on the door to Baekhyun's kidnapping.

"How much do you need?" Sehun asked afterwards, just straight to the point. "I want to help."

The baby started crying then, and Lu Han jumped at the noise before quickly starting to try to soothe the infant, making soft cooing noises at her while slowly swinging her from side to side. When she didn't stop crying after a few minutes, Lu Han looked at them apologetically before carrying her upstairs.

"Sorry about that," Sehun said, wiping a hand over his face. "The baby was fussy all last night, and she just won't stay asleep for long… anyways, where were we?"

"A hundred thousand… that's how much we need…" Chanyeol told him immediately, this desperate and rather wild look in his eyes. "Please, Sehunnie, my Baekkie's life is on the line and his father wasn't even willing to give us all of it. This is his son for goodness sake! And I'm just so desperate and I promise I will pay you back as soon as possible, and just please help me save my love… please…"

Chanyeol broke down after those words, burying his face into his hands. For a moment, the only sounds were Chanyeol's quiet sobs and the baby's screaming from upstairs. No one noticed that Sehun had left the room.

"One hundred thousand," Sehun handed him a large pile of cash, an encouraging smile on his face. "Take it, we can talk about paying me back some other time. Go, save your Baekhyun."

Chanyeol looked up, his cheeks streaked with tears, and his eyes were wide, as a slow smile spread across his face. He nodded, accepting the money from the other, before adding it to the briefcase.

"This is all they want, right?" Chanyeol asked. "Tell me this all we need…"

Zitao nodded slowly, and the other relaxed visibly. They mumbled hurried goodbyes before running out the door, Baekhyun the only thing on both of their minds.

 

Zitao left a message for the kidnappers at the specified location; this abandoned little alleyway way on the south side of town, and waited. Within a couple hours, there was another note on their door, held by another knife. The note told them where to meet, and so Zitao went with Chanyeol. Kris refused to go, and he was acting a little strangely, but no one thought anything of it. They left without double-checking the amount again.

 

"Give me the suitcase," A man stepped forward, hand held out. "If it has all that we need, we'll give you him."

He stepped aside to reveal Baekhyun, and someone grabbing a handful of his hair, so that he was looking up; his eyes were glassy and unfocused, and he was acting like he hadn’t seen Zitao or Chanyeol. Chanyeol let out a strangled and pained sound and tried to get to him, but the man that had spoken first stepped between them.

"Nope, money first."

Chanyeol and Zitao exchanged a glance, before the younger of the two stepped forward and handed him the suitcase. There were several beats of silence as they counted the money, and finally one of them stood up, a rather large frown on his face.

"Do you take us for fools?" He yelled. "This is only half of what we wanted! Give us the rest now! Or he dies."

On cue, another of them placed a gun up to Baekhyun's head and unlocked the safety.

"What?" Chanyeol's eyes grew wide, and his voice became high and squeaky. "That's impossible! I counted the money myself… It's all there!"

And suddenly Zitao understood. Kris' strange behaviour earlier made sense; he must have taken the other half.

"I know where it is…" He said and Chanyeol's gaze snapped to him at once. "Kris… he took it… please just give me a little time, we'll go get it…"

"You may go," The man said, pointing to Zitao, before moving his finger to Chanyeol. "He stays."

Chanyeol nodded, trying to tell Zitao that he would be fine. The younger boy hesitated for only a moment before dashing off.

 

Zitao arrived back at their apartment to find Kris packing stuff up, a panicked look on his face.

"Kris," He called to him, but got no reaction from the other. "Kris!"

The older male turned, startled.

"Zitao!" He cried out. "We need to leave! Run away!"

"Kris, where's the money?" Zitao's words caused the other to immediately freeze, many emotions crossing his face, from sadness to guilt to anger.

"I took it," He stated simply, like it was a normal thing for him to do. "We could live comfortably. We could be happy. We deserve this money, Zitao."

"Kris," Zitao couldn't believe the words that were coming out of the other's mouth. "Baekhyun's life is on the line, and all you can think about is yourself?"

"Us, Zitao!" Kris cried out. "I'm thinking about us! Don't you want a better life?"

"I want this to end, Kris," Zitao sighed, exasperated and exhausted. "I want us to live normally, without having to resort to stealing other people's money and without having to run and hide. I refuse to live like that."

When Kris' face hardened, Zitao realized that he had never truly known him, that this man was not who he had thought he was.

"Just give me the money, Kris," Zitao stated, his voice quivering slightly, as he realized that for the first time since this relationship began, he was afraid of the other. "Just let me save Baekhyun…"

"So that's it then?" Kris said, taking a step forward. "You're choosing him over our happiness? You never cared about me at all, did you?"

"I'm not choosing him over you!" Zitao yelled, shocked that Kris would even think that. "But I refuse to leave him to die because of your fantasies! And this is your fault!"

“This is my fault?” Kris said, incredulous. “You can’t say that this is completely my fault. I tried to keep you out of it, I tried to deal with it myself, and I even tried to avoid it further… You cannot say that this is completely my fault. You chose to be apart of this, to be with me in this, and him, that Baekhyun, he chose his own fate as well…”

“I never said that it was entirely your fault,” Zitao retorted, his voice quieter now. “I just want to save him… because I dragged him into this, and I should get him out of it… He doesn’t deserve to die.”

"Fine, take the stupid money!" The older male screamed, tossing the bills to Zitao. "Give them all this money, leave us further in debt. See if I care."

"Come with me."

"What?"

"This is your debt to repay, Kris," The younger boy explained. "You should be there, you should give them the money."

There was tense silence for a moment before Kris took a step towards him, an unreadable expression on his face.

"I didn't ask for this," The older male said, clearly trying to remain calm. "I didn't ask for my mother to become sick, I didn't ask to be poor, I didn't ask for my father to run away and for me to be left in debt, I didn't ask for not having enough money to pay them back, to keep running like a coward, I didn't ask to meet you… I didn't mean to make things worse, and I didn't think they would chase me for three years… I just want them off my back, Zitao… I just want this all to end…"

"Then let's end this, Kris," The younger boy replied, taking a step forward, his voice soft. "All they want is their money."

Kris nodded, his expression sad, but determined now as he bent down to pick up the money he had thrown earlier. And as the two of them walked, hand in hand, out of their apartment, Zitao hoped that all of this could truly end, and that they could resume their normal lives.

 

"It's all here, boss." The little man said, a huge grin on his face as he counted the money, greed evident with his every movement.

"Release him," Another man said, nodding his head towards Baekhyun. "We no longer need him."

Baekhyun was untied and then shoved forward. His eyes landed on Chanyeol first, and his eyes widened in recognition, but his face showed distress. Taking small, and wobbly steps, he made his way towards them. Chanyeol reached a hand out to steady his lover, but instead of taking it, Baekhyun flinched away.

"It's me, Baekkie," The taller male said, worried. "Don't you recognize me?"

Zitao watched with a frown; something didn't feel right. Looking back at those people, he was surprised to see that they were still there, and hadn't moved an inch. Chanyeol tried to reach out to him once, and this time Baekhyun allowed him, but he looked uncomfortable, pained even. And then he was pressed against Chanyeol, but struggled against him; the expression on his face was one of terror.

"Baekkie!" Chanyeol called out, his arms around the other tightly. "Please, just tell me what's wrong…"

"…Let me go." Baekhyun said, his voice barely above a whisper.

When Chanyeol's grip only tightened, he repeated himself, but a little louder, and a lot more desperately. So reluctantly, the taller boy did, and Baekhyun took a step away from him, hurt evident on both their faces now. Feeling the need to step in, Zitao walked towards them and tried to reach out to the smaller boy only to have his hand slapped away.

"Please, just don't touch me…" He looked back and forth between Chanyeol and Zitao a couple times before taking another step back, and wrapping his arms around himself, like he was hoping that he could just disappear. "Please… don't touch… don't… hurt…"

His eyes fluttered closed and he started falling forwards. Chanyeol was there in an instant, lifting his lover into his arms and holding on to him protectively. Zitao could see this anger in his eyes, as well as a very deep sadness. He looked like he was about ready to kill someone, namely the ones that had done this to Baekhyun, or at least give them a piece of his mind. Eventually he settled for giving them a glare, knowing that his lover would stop him and tell him they're not worth it, but Chanyeol couldn't help but imagine all the things that he could do to them.

Turning his back on them, he started walking away, holding his Baekkie as tightly as he could without hurting him. He had taken all of five steps when he heard this sickening click that was somewhat familiar but he couldn't quite place it. And then there was a loud bang. A gun. Someone had just shot a gun. Chanyeol turned frantically from left to right, searching for the source and saw the man that had told then the others to release Baekhyun with a smoking gun in his hands. Turning his attention left and right, and he saw Kris lying on the ground, his eyes open in shock, and with Zitao staring like he had yet to really process what had just happened.

"No one steals from us and lives."

Zitao was shaking, whether from anger or deep sadness, Chanyeol couldn't tell because his hair covered his eyes.

"He had finally told me he loved me," The younger boy was saying, his hands clenched at his side. "He had finally started opening up to me, and I was finally moving on…"

When Zitao looked up, there was this crazed look in his eyes that Chanyeol knew all too well; it was the same look that he had had when he had attacked Baekhyun.

"Zitao, don't-!" Chanyeol didn't even get to finish his warning before the other was charging at them, anger in his movement and tears in his eyes.

He had managed to land all of a hit before the guy shot him with his gun, right through his chest. As Zitao fell back, his body going numb, a single thought passed through his head.

They say that it's better to have loved and lost, then to have never loved at all… Zitao thought as he allowed his eyes to fall on Kris for the final time. I can't say I agree; I wish I had never met you…

Chanyeol stood there, frozen, his mind unable to comprehend what he had just seen. It wasn't until the man that had shot them both began to walk towards him and his unconscious lover, did he realize that he needed to run, that he needed to get out of there. So he ran, and the other man shot at him, shot after shot, and he dodged to the best of his ability while simultaneously protecting Baekhyun. Finally, he ducked behind a wall, completely out of breath and barely able to stay standing. He tried to shift himself so that he wouldn't be seen as easily.

Looking down, he noticed some blood on Baekhyun's face, and was terrified that he hadn't been able to protect him properly. Panicked, Chanyeol checked the other over, but saw no visible wound. He sighed as the adrenaline from earlier began to wear off, then he felt a sudden pain in his left shoulder; it was this burning kind of pain, that steadily got worse with each breath he took. His vision had started to blur from the pain as he tried moving himself and his lover further down the wall. He dropped Baekhyun just as he collapsed as well.

No… I need to protect Baekkie… Chanyeol thought desperately as he reached a hand out to intertwine his with the other's. Don't pass out, Chanyeol… Stay awake…

The pain was too much though, and neither his body nor his brain was listening to him any longer. Unconsciousness claimed him no more than five minutes later, his hands still tightly around Baekhyun's.

 

Chanyeol woke up to soft dripping noises, beeping, and light breathing. The first thing he noticed, after opening his eyes, was the bleach white walls and ceiling, and that he was lying on an unfamiliar bed. His brain eventually recognized the place as a hospital room, and the events of before hit him like a ton of bricks.

Baekkie! He thought immediately while trying to sit up only to fail and fall back on to his pillows, pain shooting through him. … That hurt…

He settled for turning his head left and right, and saw Baekhyun lying on the bed to his left, looking peaceful in his sleep. An IV was stuck into his arm, the part that wasn't bandaged, he was dressed in a bland hospital gown and for a moment, Chanyeol was content just watching the other's chest rise and fall.

"You’re awake!" A soft and familiar voice exclaimed. "We were so worried."

Looking forward, Chanyeol saw Kyungsoo standing at the foot of his bed, with Jongin standing next to him.

"Hey guys," Chanyeol tried to say, but his voice sounded so dry that he was pretty sure they didn't understand.

"Hey, how do you feel?" Jongin asked as he settled into a chair on Chanyeol's right, and Kyungsoo moved to sit next to Baekhyun. "Does it hurt?"

"Can you get me some water?" Chanyeol rasped.

Jongin reached out, took a cup that had been on the small table next to the bed and handed it to him, a slight smile on his face. Chanyeol took it and emptied the glass almost immediately, and felt better right away. He nodded his thanks, and Jongin replied with a nod of his own.

"Yeah, it still hurts," Chanyeol said. "I'm more worried about him, though…" He turned to look at Baekhyun and saw Kyungsoo wiping some sweat off his face. "Will he be okay?"

"He will be," Jongin replied, looking at them as well. "The doctor did say, though, that if he doesn't wake up in another day or two, something might be seriously wrong…"

"How long have I been out?" Chanyeol asked, trying to fill in the blanks between what had happened and now. "What happened anyways? How did we get here?"

"Let's see…" Jongin paused, thinking for a moment. "Someone had called the police after hearing gun shots. They found Zitao and Kris dead, and then they saw a trail of blood leading away from them and followed it. That was how they found you and Baekhyun. They brought both of you to the hospital, and that was three days ago."

For a moment, Chanyeol didn't say anything as he tried to process that information. Three days. Guess that wound had been more serious than he had thought, that certainly explains the intense pain. And his Baekkie… just what had those people done to him?

"Three days, huh?" Chanyeol mused, he looked at Jongin, still not sure what to make of all this. "And how did you guys know?"

"Lu Han told us," The younger boy told him. "Or more specifically, he had been worried about you guys, and then we saw the news."

The older boy smiled at that, it was nice to know that Lu Han cared.

"Thanks, Jongin…" Chanyeol closed his eyes; it was hard to believe that it had been three days.

"No problem," The other's voice said. "Why don't you get some rest? I'll wake you up if there's any changes with Baekhyun."

Chanyeol managed a nod before falling asleep, hoping to wake up under better circumstances.

 

"Channie…" Chanyeol groaned at the sound of his name. "Channie… wake up…"

Familiar voice… familiar voice… Chanyeol thought, as his brain tried to match a name with the voice.

"Baekkie!" He cried as his eyes snapped open, and he sat up a bit too quickly; pulling at his wound, before pulling his lover into a tight embrace. "Baekkie…"

The taller boy noticed the other stiffen in his arms, before beginning to squirm a little, and he was reminded of the way that he had acted towards him before.

"What's wrong, my love?" Chanyeol asked, loosening his grip on the other. "Talk to me…"

Baekhyun didn't say anything until Chanyeol released him completely; even then he sat on his own bed, leaving an awkward distance between the two.

"Please don't touch me…" He whispered, his voice barely audible, and his body shaking.

Chanyeol lay back down on the bed, his face twisted in pain, and kept his distance, respecting Baekhyun's wishes.

There was silence for a moment, where the two them just looked at each other, and an unreadable expression on both of their faces.

"Are you okay?" Baekhyun asked, reaching out towards his lover, like he wanted to touch him, but pulled his hand away after a moment. "What happened to your shoulder?"

"…gunshot," Chanyeol muttered, not particularly keen on reliving the events right away, but he knew that Baekhyun deserved to know. "Do you want to know what happened?"

Out of his peripheral vision, he noticed the smaller male nod, so he took a deep breath, closed his eyes and told him everything that had happened after he had been kidnapped, up until they got to the hospital; at least what he knew of it.

"What happened to Zitao, Channie?" Chanyeol winced at the sadness and pain in the other's voice; it was barely audible, but he caught it.

"He was shot, I told you…" The taller male kept his voice soft, hoping that he didn't sound insensitive

"Yes, but is he really dead?"

"…Do you still love him?" Chanyeol responded with his own question, a sudden headache hitting him. "Because… sometimes I feel like you do, and I sometimes I feel like you don't care about me at all…"

His words were followed by stunned silence as Baekhyun just sat there, completely still.

"No… no…" His words were just breaths. "No… I left him for you, Channie… Anything I feel for him, everything is platonic… I love you."

The taller male opened his eyes to look at his lover; he wanted to believe his words, but for some reason he just didn't. Instead, he nodded, simply because he was just too tired to say anything else at this point. Chanyeol closed his eyes again, hoping to fall asleep. Reality was just too cruel at this point.

"Channie…" Baekhyun said, and Chanyeol felt his bed sink in on his left. "You believe me, right?"

"…I guess," The taller male replied. "I'm tired, let me sleep."

There was silence before he felt Baekhyun move off the bed and shift away. Chanyeol released a sad sigh, and he tried to sleep, not think about anything, but he couldn't, Baekhyun and Zitao entering his mind over and over. Zitao was dead though, or at least Jongin said he was… and the police as well…? Chanyeol was still doubtful though, he was terrified of losing his smaller lover, he didn't want to ever be without him.

"Baekkie…" He whispered. "You care, right? About me?"

"Park Chanyeol," Baekhyun stated, his voice forceful but still soft. "If you ever ask me that again, then I will ask for a divorce. Don't you doubt my feelings for you…"

"Then tell me what they did to you," Chanyeol said without thinking, realizing that that's what had been bothering him. "Why won't you let me touch you?"

He heard Baekhyun in a breath, but didn't say anything. Opening his eyes again, Chanyeol sat up painfully and looked at the other, before smiling.

"Please, love," He patted the space next to him. "They can't hurt you anymore."

Baekhyun got up and sat next to him, his small frame shaking slightly, careful to leave a small distance between them. A deep breath was taken, before he turned to look at the other, fear in his eyes.

"I… they…" He squeezed his eyes shut then, and place his dainty hands in his lap, his entire body shivering like the room was freezing cold. "They…"

Chanyeol reached a hand out to comfort the other, but then thought better of it and withdrew it.

"Take your time, love," The taller male gently told him. "And if it really hurts to remember, then I can wait. I want to help you heal…"

Baekhyun turned to look him, and after a moment, he relaxed a little, but he still seemed extremely on edge.

"Those two days… those were hell…" His voice was soft, frightened. He took a deep breath before continuing. "They… they hurt me. They only really needed me for money, but they hurt be because they thought it was fun. They used their hands, feet, metal pipes, pieces of wood… anything they could get their hands on. It was never too much, though. It hurt, but it was mostly only on the surface; cuts, bruises, scrapes, sometimes there would be a little blood, sometimes a bit more… And then… and then… they…" Baekhyun trailed off, and tears were running down his face as he wrapped his arms around himself.

And suddenly, Chanyeol understood. Baekhyun's behaviour, and not wanting to be touched, it really could only mean one things, and he had been too blind to see it.

"They you…" He said then.

The smaller boy was trembling as sobs racked his body, but he turned to look at Chanyeol before nodding. Chanyeol spread his arms out but didn't touch him; trying to get him to slowly trust him again, see that he would not hurt him. Several beats of silence, minus Baekhyun's heartbreaking sobs, and then he was diving into Chanyeol's arms, letting more tears fall from his eyes.

"I knew you would save me, Channie," He sniffed into the other's shirt. "I was waiting, and I endured because I knew you would save me…"

"Of course, Baekkie," Chanyeol could feel his own tears running down his face as he kissed the top of Baekhyun's head. "I love you too much to ever leave you in the hands of those kinds of people."

Baekhyun allowed himself to completely relaxed against Chanyeol and the two of them fell into a comfortable silence, and eventually they fell asleep in each other's arms. And for the first time in a long time, they slept peacefully and well, because they were together again.

 

"You're home!" Lu Han exclaimed as Baekhyun and Chanyeol walked through the doorway, Sehun fairly close behind. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Baekhyun gave him a sad smiling before stepping forward and pulling the older boy into a hug, tears in his eyes again.

"I thought I would never see you again…" He said through his tears. "I missed you…"

Over the last week, Baekhyun and Chanyeol had more than just healed their physical wounds, their emotional ones were as well, although not completely. They talked a lot, working out any and all issues that either of them had, renewing their love, and any thought of splitting up completely gone from both of their minds. Baekhyun allowed Chanyeol to touch him, but was still uncomfortable when anyone else came near him, namely nurses and doctors. He was also growing somewhat more comfortable with touching people himself.

"Oh, Baekhyun…" Lu Han replied, and was about to wrap his own arms around the other when he suddenly jerked away, fear clear in his eyes. "I… did I hurt you?"

Chanyeol immediately stepped forward and placed an arm around his lover's shoulders.

"Shh, Baekkie…" He whispered into his ear, holding him close. "It's okay, Lu Han won't hurt you."

Sehun watched the scene in silence, and finally walked over and wrapped an arm around Lu Han as well, his eyes weary.

"What happened, Chanyeol?" He stated, his voice firm. "Why is he acting like this? What did they do to our happy and lively Baekhyun?"

Baekhyun winced at those words and tried to press himself closer to his lover, like he hoped he could just disappear. Looking down at the smaller boy sadly, Chanyeol motioned for Sehun and Lu Han to come closer.

"They…" He mumbled, leaning closer to both of them, his voice low so that Baekhyun hopefully wouldn't be able to hear. "They him…"

Lu Han gasped loudly, while pressing both hands over his mouth, and Sehun's face was hard, emotionless. They both took a step back, giving Baekhyun space. Chanyeol's arm tightened around his lover and began to lead him away, he turned his head to give the other couple a grateful glance and a nod before disappearing up the stairs. Gently, Chanyeol steered both of them into their bedroom before locking the door behind them.

"Are you tired?" The taller boy asked, looking at the other in concern. "Maybe you could take a nap, rest for a bit."

Baekhyun nodded slowly, like he was still thinking about whether or not he wanted to. And then he was moving towards the bed, and lying down on top of it, his expression one of determination, and also desperation.

"Chanyeol, you love me right?" Baekhyun's voice was soft, and a little demanding. Chanyeol had barely managed to nod in response before he continued. "Then help me… cleanse me…"

The taller boy was about to ask what he meant by that when it dawned on him; Baekhyun was asking him to have with him, to rid him of the feeling of those disgusting people touching him. Chanyeol wasn't sure that would work, he wasn't sure that was even a good idea, so he sat down on the bed next to Baekhyun and just looked at him.

"Baekkie…" The smaller boy turned his head; his eyes shining with unshed tears. "Are you sure?"

There was a slight nod, barely visible, and Chanyeol kissed him softly. Everything became instinct after that. Their hands explored of their own accord, their bodies slowly moved closer and closer until they were pressed against each other, while their mouths continually deepened the kiss, their tongues intertwined. Eventually, clothes were cast aside as well, but their lips were still interlocked. They ended up just lying next to each, bare skin against bare skin, in a sensual, but meaningful embrace, and Chanyeol knew that he had been right; Baekhyun wasn't completely ready yet, just based upon the fact that he was not pressing on. The smaller boy fell asleep soon after, pressed against the other's chest, a small smile on his face.

"Goodnight, my Baekkie," Chanyeol whispered, kissing Baekhyun's forehead as he closed his eyes. "Sweet dreams."

 

"Zitao!" Chanyeol exclaimed, surprise clear in his voice. "You…"

"I'm alive… somehow…" Zitao replied, running a hand over the place that he had been shot. "And those people are in jail… I made sure of that."

It had been more than a month since Chanyeol and Baekhyun had returned to the house since being in the hospital, and things were finally looking up, settling back to normal. Baekhyun was also becoming more comfortable with Sehun and Lu Han again.

"Oh, B- I'm so happy to see you!" The older boy had been about to say that Baekhyun would be happy to see him, but he stopped himself, because, selfishly, he didn't want his lover to know, and also because he was finally accepting the reality of the situation, that Zitao was dead, he was moving on. "And that's great, after what they did to Baekhyun, they deserve to die."

"Yeah," Zitao replied, a slight frown on his face. "Is Baekhyun around? I'd like to speak to him."

"He…" Chanyeol paused as he stepped out of the house and closed the door behind him. "He's actually sleeping right now, best not to disturb him…"

"Oh… well, maybe I'll come back another time then?" The look on his face told Chanyeol that he didn't completely believe him. "…wait, you don't want me to see him, do you?"

"Those people… they him," The taller boy replied, with a deep sigh, since then he's been on edge and just… I'm afraid that the sight of you could… trigger unpleasant memories. As happy as I am that you're still alive, Zitao, I think it's time for both of you to move on, for good."

Zitao's face darkened, and for a moment it looked like he was considering just pushing past the other and going to find Baekhyun anyways, but then his face relaxed and he took a step back.

"You're right, Chanyeol," He said then, an actual smile appearing on his face. "I shouldn't let the past hold me back anymore."

Chanyeol nodded, returning his smile.

"Well then I guess, this is goodbye," Zitao told him, something almost like relief in his voice. "Tell Baekhyun I'm sorry, let him know that I didn't mean for any of it to happen to him…"

"I will," Chanyeol replied with a nod, although he wouldn't be able to say that Zitao said that, because Baekhyun wasn't supposed to know about this. "And maybe our paths might cross again in the future."

Zitao nodded before turning and walking away.

I hope you find happiness, Huang Zitao. Chanyeol thought, as he watched the other's retreating figure. Good luck to you…

With a sigh, Chanyeol went back inside after Zitao disappeared out of sight, and found himself face to face with Baekhyun.

"Baekkie!" He exclaimed, surprised. "You're awake. How do you feel?"

"Who was that, Channie?"

"It was… an old friend," Chanyeol replied, and it wasn't technically a lie.

"Do I know this person?" Baekhyun asked with a slight head tilt.

"I don't think so," The taller boy said with a shrug, hoping to appear nonchalant. "They just came by to say hi and ask how we were doing."

"Oh, so why didn't you talk to them longer?"

"They… had to go…"

"Oh okay," Chanyeol wasn't sure if Baekhyun believed him, but that seemed to be the end of the conversation for now. "You weren't there when I woke up… and I was cold…"

"Oh, love," Chanyeol whispered, reaching out and pulling him into a hug. "I'm sorry. Would you like to go back to bed?"

"I'm hungry," Baekhyun replied, placing a hand over his stomach. "Can you make me something?"

"Of course," Chanyeol said, leading him towards the kitchen. "I'll make you whatever you want."

And the smile that lit up Baekhyun's face made his heart speed up.

"Anything for you…"

 

Zitao took one last longing look before walking away, his hands shaking. He understood Chanyeol's reasoning, he even agreed with it, but that didn't mean that he was happy with it. He hoped to at least say goodbye to Baekhyun face to face, but that wasn't really an option. Stepping out on to the busy street, he let himself think about the small boy that had been his first real relationship, and someone that he would never really forget.

"Do you know what you mean to me, Byun Baekhyun?" Zitao whispered to himself, while walking, not even sure where he was headed. "You mean more to me than I've ever been able to express… and I guess I would just like to thank you… hope to never see you again…"

There was an odd little half smile on his face as he disappeared down a set of stairs, with the decision to completely start over this time.

 

THE END

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So, this fic is complete. There will be no more sequels oe side stories, or anything of the sort... I'm sorry if this is disappointing to anyone...but yeah, I hope the ending is satisfactory? and I'm sorry if it's not...Also, I apologise for taking so long to finish writing this OTL

Thank you so much to all the people that subscribed, whether you've been here since the beginning or not doesn't matter, I just appreciate you taking the time to read my fic <3 and also, thank you to people that comment ^_^

Until whatever I post next? Probably chapter 14 of Can Love be Classified?... to the people that read that fic, I'll see you then. =3